Clinton vs. Trump or Falcons vs. Saints?

Tonight we will have the opportunity to watch the first of the Presidential debates for this election cycle.  We will also have the opportunity to watch the Atlanta Falcons play the New Orleans Saints in football.  In view of the fact that I have learned to hate politics and love football, on the surface this seems a pretty easy decision.

Forgive me for being a cynic, but it seems that politics has become more of a matter of image over substance, of advertisement over character, of spin over truth.  Both of the major candidates have emphasized the deeply flawed character of their opponents.  I believe that in this regard both candidates are, to a certain degree, telling the truth. 

I am not sure I want to trade an evening of my life to hear two deeply flawed people talk about how they are better than the other.  Allow me to sum up the debate before you have to listen to 90 minutes of diatribe.  One will likely say, “I have experience trust me.  My opponent is reckless and dangerous.”  The other will likely say, “We are in a dangerous position because of people like my opponent.  I can make things better, like they used to be.”  There you have the debate; you can now watch football. 

Don’t get me wrong I am not advocating that voters should be ignorant about the candidates or the issues.  I am just not sure that either of these people will ever be able to impress me.  I am not interested in being depressed by listening to two people throw a lot of mud at each other.  When you throw mud not only do you get your hands dirty you also lose a lot of ground.

As I was reading scripture in the early hours, I reread a passage that seemed to be apropos for today.  Jeremiah 9:23-24

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

It is not my place to judge the spiritual condition of any candidate for office.  I can look at the lives of candidates and ask the question, “By their actions do they appear to understand and know God?”  I will likely vote for one of these two for president, but I doubt seriously I will ever be impressed by either of them.

I suppose, if the Monday night football matchup were more compelling than teams with a combined record of 1 win and 3 losses, I might watch the game.  But the most likely scenario is a good book and early to bed.  

On being the whore!

We sometimes miss a powerful point from the book of Hosea.  We read this book about the wickedness of Israel and the patient loving God as it is played out between Hosea and his wife Gomer.  It is easy to focus on the sin of the nation and the bazaar, and almost confounding, commandments God gives to Hosea.  We discuss the fine details of exegesis of this book and discuss whether it is a historic record of an allegory.  One point that we often miss is that, “we are Gomer!”  Allow me to rephrase that, “I am Gomer.”  

God wants me to move from experience to trust, from feelings to love.  I can feel the emotions very strongly.    I can’t feel the truth in such a visceral way.  I can feel hurt, rejection, or offense.  But it is not so clear to feel the approval of the truth.  I can articulate the disappointment I experience, but it is harder to commit to the truth in the moments of disappointment.

Given the choice, my fallen nature easily gravitates toward what I feel.   God wants me to know that I am accepted, loved, and affirmed.  But with the profound allure of the flesh, the world, and the whispers of the demonic, I move toward what feels good, self vindicating or rewarding.  When I give in, I become Gomer.

I am the wife, who out of dysfunction, goes off to the strip club and turns tricks.  I am the $5 crack whore that will do anything for the next fix.  I betray my true lover and chase hard the ruin of my own life.

And God loves me anyway.  That is the point of Hosea.

He comes to the basement apartment in which I exist, that stinks of mildew, and piss, and the sweaty John from the night before.  He carries me to His mansion and puts me in a sick bed.  The best physicians attend; cost is no object.  All the while He is at my bedside.  He towels my face and holds my hand in the convulsive throws of the illness.  He holds my head as I vomit the poisons from my body.  In the mansion I need never worry about the next meal, having clean sheets, or what I will do if I soil my clothes.  He cares for me in my recovery, even when I feel nothing but fear, distrust, frustration and darkness.  Everything tells me I am loved.  When He walks from the room and I can’t see Him I can trust and say, “He will be right back; everything will be alright.”

Read Hosea, but remember, we are Gomer.  The sooner we own that, the sooner we will be able to accept the great and marvelous love of our Savior.  The sooner all our motivation will be because we love Him.

My Religion is getting in the way of my faith

It is the story we have heard over and over again; a story that we often teach or preach.  It is a story that has literally shaped our language.  Even those who are unfamiliar with the story itself and have never decided to follow the storyteller understand the meaning of the term “Good Samaritan”.  So how is it that this story hits me again with new conviction?  How could I have not noticed its application to my life before?  Maybe this application is reserved for those who have ears to hear.

Since you are familiar with the story, I will cut straight to the whack on the head I just got.  The biggest difference between the priest and the Levite, on the one hand, and the Samaritan on the other, was this faith system.   All other factors appear to be the same or at least similar.  This is not an anti-Jewish story, nor is it anti-Mosaic law.  It is a story about who is the neighbor I am supposed to love as myself.

So what kept the priest and Levite from helping the wounded man?  It was apparently their faith system.  If they came in contact with a dead body they would become unclean according to the God-given law.  They were, apparently, deeply committed to doing the right thing according to the tenants of their religion.  It was their very religious practice that kept them from touching the hurting man.  I find it interesting that Jesus offers no condemnation for these men and their meticulous observance of that part of the law.  By His follow-up question, Jesus leads us to believe that loving our neighbor-the person in need-takes priority over other religious observances. 

In my religious practice I find it interrupts my faith.  Jesus said in the great commission, “As you are going make disciples of all nations” (note the infinitive).  My problem is all the places I am going, at least in theory, are filled with disciples.  As I look at the week I am huddling with disciples, Sunday morning worship, evening leadership teaching, Monday night men’s group, Tuesday night church league softball (if I want to go and support the team), Wednesday church youth group, Thursday night prayer meeting.  You get the picture.

Jesus’ last words on earth for me were that as I was going through life, I should be making disciples.  I am simply so active with my religion that I haven’t time to live out my faith as an obedient follower.  I am, however, not opposed to the occupation of ministry. 

I love my work as a church consultant.  I am thankful for my role as an interim pastor.  But I know that I am missing something.  There are people who are hurting and in dire need of love, but grace and I are too busy with the habit of my religion to be of any use to them. 

Maybe I have it upside down.  Rather than fill my week with Christian activities and events, perhaps I should fill my week with building relationships with people who haven’t yet experienced Christ’s love.  If there is time, I will gather with Christians for worship.  If I did that, would worship be sweeter and the week more fulfilling?  Can I practice my faith more and my religion less?

Shades of Gray in Senior Leadership Role

Senior Leadership Role

Conflict can be a part of any of these continuums, but the most serious conflict is likely to develop in the role of senior leadership.  Assumptions regarding the role of the senior minster can be distressing for a congregation when those assumptions work themselves out into conflict between the minister and the other leaders in the church.  Working through these expectations, specifically who is/are the senior leader(s) and how do they relate to other leaders, is critical for harmony within the church. This issue is also complicated by the fact that churches of different sizes require a dynamic leadership and that leadership will adjust its roles as the church grows and changes.  This is perhaps the most fluid of these continuums.

Many times churches are set up for conflict in the process of hiring a new minister.  Assumptions are made about the role of the senior minister or staff members when both the congregation and the minster use common terms that they interpret very differently.  The presumption of a common definition that has an actual underlying divergence of meaning results in churches entering into a relationship with a minister, each expecting what the other has no inclination to deliver.   As a result, there is a short honeymoon in the ministry, followed by mutual frustration and deterioration of relationship into a congregation taking sides along the divide within the leadership.

Unfortunately, the issues of leadership roles are rarely expressed until after conflict has begun, at which time resolution is much more difficult to achieve.  Long before the first signs of conflict, churches and ministers would be wise to honestly discuss their expectations regarding the role of senior leadership.  For congregations that are looking for a minister, there needs to be a clear definition of expectations and roles before the first candidate interview.  Once the process has begun, there is a tremendous temptation to appeal to a prospective minister by conciliation and compromise, which will not represent real expectation.   

Looking at the shades of gray in the leadership role of the senior minister, it is important for the minister and the church to be in the same general area on the continuum, understanding an identical location is not very likely. 

Senior Minister as C.E.O.
At one extreme end of the spectrum the senior minister is seen as the C.E.O. of the church being the primary point for direction and leadership.  This is, in some churches, taken to the extreme that the senior minister is next to the Lord himself in terms of authority.  In one congregation during the board meeting, the senior minister sits next to an empty chair that represents the presence of Jesus.  Senior leaders at this end of the spectrum can become autocrats and petty tyrants who rule the church as their personal serfdom.  In such a church, there is a grave danger for the minister to surround himself with ‘yes’ men who fawn over his great leadership and endorse every decision.  

The senior minister who is a C.E.O. often has little to do with daily ministry; his role is to give the vision and direction to the ministry and to be the personification of the church from a highly visible stage.   Administrators who direct the functional operations of the church see to it that the vision is carried out. The senior minister cares for the flock as a “rancher” who delegates the task of shepherding. As C.E.O. his relationship with the board is that the board implements and supports his directives.

The parallel advents of the mega church and the C.E.O. pastor have become two sides of the same coin.  In many mega-churches, it is impossible to speak to the senior minister and it is nearly impossible to speak to his secretary/personal assistant.  The most a church member might expect is to leave a message with the receptionist who will forward it to the pastor’s aid.  The connection of the seeker- driven church and the mega-church has resulted in an expectation that ministers of many seeker-driven churches attempt to assume the role of C.E.O. regardless of size.

 If objectives of the minister are not reached a strong church board will replace the C.E.O. with one that can move the church toward it objectives.  However, in some cases the C.E.O. is so powerful that even the board cannot remove him from his leadership position.

In summation, if such a minister were an animal, he is the alpha male of a large, efficient, and aggressive wolf pack. 

Senior Minister as Chaplain.
At the other extreme end of the continuum, the minister is a personal chaplain for every member of the congregation.  He is the primary and, in some cases, the sole  caregiver for the spiritual needs of the church. His work, ministry and role are determined by the needs of the members of the congregation. He is expected to be on call, at all times, to provide whatever services any member expects or requires. 

He is the “shepherd” with hands-on, direct contact with all the flock and is personally responsible for their perceived spiritual well being.   Such care will certainly include regular home visitation as expected by members, daily hospital calling, and crisis intervention and problem solving for members and those related to members.  He is only to reprove, rebuke, and exhort if it is done in such a way as not to offend members of the church.    One congregation offered their minister a three-part job description: 1) Do not change anything 2) don’t try to get new people instead take care of the ones we have got 3) preach sermons to make people feel happy. 

The congregants, based on how happy they are with their treatment by the minister, evaluate his job performance, sometimes by annual vote of confidence and sometimes by direct or indirect complaint.  Make no mistake about it, this minister is hired by the church to do their bidding.  The role of the board is to insure that the minister does his job and to communicate to the employee any dissatisfaction from the congregation. 

At the extreme end of the continuum, the minister has little or no authority concerning the direction, vision, or mission of the church.  He will likely have no authority over H.R. or staffing decisions.  One leader commented that overseeing staff is something the senior minister most definitely should not be doing.  The minister in such a congregation had better learn to do as he is told and not make waves.

If the C.E.O. pastor is the alpha of a wolf pack this pastor is expected to be the lap dog of a miniature variety 

The broad range in the middle

Either extreme can be dangerous and must be avoided.  Nowhere is there a greater need for a church to know and be honest about its expectations.  Nowhere is there a greater need for the minister to have and faithfully hold his convictions about his style of ministry.  Ministers more given to pastoral care will not thrive in a congregation wanting strong senior leadership.  Congregations that are looking for a pastoral minister will soon be disappointed with a visionary, regardless of how likeable he may be. 

In Act 1, scene III of Hamlet

Polonius says:


This above all: to thy own self be true


And it must follow, as the night the day


Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Many ministers wanting to gain the acceptance of a congregation or to get a position with a church will not be true to who they are and then set themselves up for conflict. 

Both church and minister must avoid the extremes of this continuum.  On one end there is a tendency for the church to become a cult of personality that revolves around the minister. On the other extreme, the minister loses his personality as he revolves around the church.